You’re about to have your baby and it’s just about that time every expectant mother waits for; time for the baby shower. Usually a baby shower consists of the mother’s friends and family gathering in one place to play games related to the up and coming baby, as well as indulge on food and drown the mother in gifts intended to help her with her new baby.
Trying to come up with an idea for your baby shower could get pretty tiresome; here are some of the most popular trends to help give you some idea of what to do.
1) The Gender Reveal
It’s always a mixed bag among parents if they want to wait and be surprised by the gender of the baby. Some parents elect to know the sex straight away while others choose to wait until the delivery. There’s a bit of controversy surrounding the decision to wait as it makes guests unable to buy gender specific gifts. Instead of knowing your baby is going to be a girl and receiving “feminine” gifts, you’ll most likely just receive gender-neutral clothing, or mostly supplies for the baby.
Another way to do it is the gender reveal shower. A gender reveal shower is pretty self-explanatory by the name, but it consists of no one, not even the mother, knowing the sex of the baby. Somebody, most usually the doctor, writes the gender down on a piece of paper and puts that paper in an envelope. The mother, at some point of the party, then reveals the sex. Mystery and fun for everyone!
2) Green Shower
Ah, the green shower, a newer trend where the parents of the coming baby request moderately used, and hand-me-down gifts. Second hand gifts are a great way for mom’s whose kids have grown up and out of their clothing and toys, to cleanse their house of the perfectly good baby equipment.
Other aspects of the green shower involve email invitations, instead of post marked ones, food cooked by the guests and/or hosts, and wrapping presents in usable baby blankets as an alternative for wrapping paper that just goes directly in the trash anyway.
3) The Sprinkle
A baby sprinkle, as opposed to a baby shower, is more of a lesser party that is usually held when a mother is expecting a child after they have already had their first one. The spectacular isn’t as… well, spectacular. There aren’t as many guests and the guests that do come mostly just bring supplies for the newest addition to the mother’s family. Supplies such as diapers, baby wipes, baby food, baby formula; the list of supplies needed for a baby is endless.
4) The Sip and See
So you’re an expecting mother who doesn’t want to go through the hassle of putting together a party before you have the baby. Maybe you’re too tired to entertain guests or be the center of attention, or maybe you’ve just become so sick of people who you just want to be left alone. If so, the sip and see, often called the after baby shower, is for you.
The sip and see is a party you can have after the baby has been born and you have gotten yourself settled and comfortable at home. Guests can come over, sip on champagne or wine, and see the newborn baby in all of its beauty. Guests bring gifts of all kinds and both men and women are invited to join in on the festivities.
5) Gifting a Children’s Book in Place of a Card.
My personal favorite new trend for baby showers is sort of a way to gain even more gifts than you would have before. That’s not entirely the point but it’s a great plus. Simply enough, mother’s and hosts have been requesting that guests ditch a greeting card to celebrate and instead, replace it with a children’s book. Of course that might mean you end up with double copies of the most popular books but whatever! You can always re-gift those double copies at the next green shower you attend. The inscription goes on the inside of the front cover of whatever children’s book you decide to buy; it’s a great way to make your mark on your friend’s child’s childhood.
